Everlasting Eros. Gregory of Nyssa and longing for God
Moses said, "I pray thee, show me thy glory."And he said, "I will make all my goodness pass before you, and will proclaim before you my name 'The LORD'; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. But," he said, "you cannot see my face; for man shall not see me and live." And the LORD said, "Behold, there is a place by me where you shall stand upon the rock; and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by; then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back; but my face shall not be seen." (Ex 33, 18-23) When Gregory of Nyssa (d.395) explains this passage in his Life of Moses, his point in question is the endless eros , interminable longing for God that can never attain its fulfillment or rest in a complete satisfaction. "This truly is the vision of God: never to be satisfied in the desire to s